UCC vs. library: how the library has changed due to the addition of the UCC

With classes well underway this semester and professors quickly handing out tests and assignments, Stevens students have been hard at work studying to keep up with their classes. The recent addition of the University Center Complex (UCC) on campus has allocated more spaces for the student population to complete their coursework, particularly with the study rooms on the fourth floor of the sky bridge in the residential area and the conference rooms on the second floor of the UCC.

In the years before the completion of the UCC, the premiere study location at Stevens was the Samuel C. Williams Library, which is located in the middle of campus and has three floors of dedicated study spaces. Library Director Dr. Lina Beninghove and Web Services and Teaching Librarian Romel Espinel still believe that to be true this semester, as “data seem[s] to indicate that students are visiting the Library at the same or maybe even higher rate[s] than last year.” The library also has many resources for students to use outside of studying, such as the Research Desk to talk to librarians about course assignments and current research and collections of books, articles, and textbooks located in-person and online.

This semester, however, they plan to change strategies to cater to more students while still being an open space for students. With feedback from their yearly survey, the library wants to “prioritize study” by designating each floor of the library to a different volume level, with higher floors being quieter spaces and lower floors being more social spaces. Dr. Beninghove and Mr. Espinel still believe the library will be a place for students to attend events and social gatherings, as it has been for many years, but want to also focus their attention on making the library a welcoming study place to help more students.

The UCC has certainly cemented its place in the community as a new studying spot for students, but the library still aims to give resources to students and accommodate their needs for their classes. It seems the UCC and the library can both coexist on campus as social and study spaces, and the library is adapting to the change in order to help students as best as possible.